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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. object — an aim
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ground — a position
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — to protest
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pop — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com